Sidewalk-light.



G. W. ROBERTS. SIDEWALK LIGHT. APPLICATION FILED DEO.15,-1910.

996,729, Patented July 4, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 20., WASH CHARLES WESLEY ROBERTS, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SIDEWALK-LIGHT.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1.911.

Application filed December 15, 1910. Serial No. 597,540.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES WESLEY Ronnnrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sidewalk-Lights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in side walk or other lights and it is an object of the invention to provide a. transparent walk having a body portion formed with prismatic light transmitting projections, the said body portion having reinforcing means therein and reinforcing means being also extended from said body portion into the prismatic projections for preventing the falling of such projections in the event of their becoming accidentally detached.

It is also an object of the invention to pro vide walk lights with reinforcing means, portions of which project so as to interlock with filling means arranged between the said walk lights.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a walk or pavement improved lights being shown in position and a portion of the filling means between the same being shown in place. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through one of the lights or transparent blocks composing the walk or pavement. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of such transparent block or light, a portion thereof being broken away to show the reinforcing means embodied in the material thereof.

The accompanying drawing shows the preferred embodiment of the invention and the said invention will now be particularly described, reference being had to the illustration.

1 designates the body portion of a transparent block, 2 and 3 represent prismatic extensions projecting therefrom, and at a supporting flange extending around the block.

The improved light block is designed to provide a transparent means for walks or pavements which will not be readily broken and which can be provided with prismatic or other projections which will not become disconnected from the block or easily cracked off.

In using prismatic lights for walks, vaults, and like structures, the heat of the sun oftentimes is so intense that the upper surface is heated to a greater degree than the lower, the unequal heating of the light thereby causing an unequal expansion or contraction of the material of which the light is formed, often resulting in a fracture of the light almost invariably along the dotted line a as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, this detachment of the prisms from the body of the light often causing injury to persons or property below the lights. By the use of my improved lights all danger attendant to the accidental detachment of the prisms is entirely obviated, as will be more fully described hereinafter. Such difliculties are entirely obviated by the present invention and a strong and durable transparent block is afforded.

The transparent block or light is preferably formed with clear glass, or similar material in which are embedded preferably near the upper surface thereof, a series of metallic reinforcements, such as wires 5 and cross wires 6 extending at right angles to the wires 5. Some of the cross wires as 7 are looped and bent downwardly as at 8 and 9 so as to extend into the depending extension or prismatic projections upon the bottom of the block. By placing the reinforcements adjacent to the upper surface of the blocks I obviate the flaking or peeling of the upper surface of said block as the reinforcements tend to absorb the shocks and vibrations transmitted to the block by the passing thereover of heavy or loaded articles. The prismatic projections are thus not only reinforced with respect to the body portions of the block so that they are not likely to crack off, but in the event of their being accidentally broken or disconnected from the body portion, the reinforcement within the projection and body portion of the light will still support the projection and prevent its falling and causing damage. The reinforcing means is preferably allowed to project beyond the side edges of the body portion of the block so that when the blocks are still in place in the walk or pavement, the reinforcing means will extend into the space or grooves between the blocks composing the walks, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The projecting ends of the reinforcement from adjacent blocks or lights will also more or less interlock or lie parallel with each other as also shown in Fig. 1 and when the cementitious filling 10 is put into the space between the blocks of the walk, the projecting ends of the reinforcing means will be embedded therein, thus greatly strengthening the structure of the walk or pavement. This manner of forming the pavement is also found to prevent the opening up of seams or cracks in the filling between the lights or blocks and thus operates to prevent leakage at the grooves between the said lights.

The whole structure affords a durable and yet effective light transmitting walk or floor.

What I claim is 1. A transparent block for'walks or pavements comprising a body portion transparent material, transverse reinforcing rods,

embedded in said material, and laterally projecting reinforcing means extending into projections of the block for binding the Whole together.

2. A light transmit-ting block for pavements or walks comprising a body portion having horizontal reinforcing means in the body portion thereof, and loops extending from the said reinforcing means into projecting parts of the block for strengthening the same.

3. A block for transparent pavements comprising a transparent body portion, reinforcing means embedded therein and having projecting end portions arranged to extend into the space between adjacent blocks in a pavement whereby the joints between the blocks may be filled with reinforcing material.

4. A light transmitting block for pavements or walks, comprising a body portion and a prismatic portion formed integrally therewith and extending downwardly from said body portion, a horizontal metallic reinforcing means in the body portion thereof, and a metallic reinforcing means attached to said horizontal reinforcing means and extending downwardly into the prismatic portion attached to said body portion, said second reinforcing means adapted to strengthen the prismatic portion of said block and prevent the same from falling if the prismatic portion should accidentally'become detached from said body port-ion.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of December, 1910.

o. WESLEY ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

EDMUND A. STRAUSE, EDITH STADLMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 7 

